Following Kabul blasts, ISIS threat grows stronger

LAHORE: Unable to digest its unceremonious ouster from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover, India shows non-seriousness towards playing a role in the war-torn country’s peace.

Numerous Indian media houses opined that “after the barbaric attacks in Kabul, a threat of ISIS-Khorasan also loomed large over India.” In one of its reports in this context, the “News18” channel said, “The airport blasts came as the August 31 deadline looms for the United States to withdraw its troops, and for it and other Western countries to end a massive airlift that has already evacuated nearly 100,000 people. "Khorasan" is a historical name for the region.

The “Hindustan Times” has gone on to quote Amrullah Saleh, an Afghan politician who claims to be his country’s acting president since the Taliban takeover, as saying that ISIS-Khorasan had links with Taliban and the Haqqani Network.

Britain’s newspaper “The Daily Mail” has written: “Donald Trump has slammed Joe Biden for handing over a list of approved Afghan evacuees to the Taliban amid fears it will now be used by the extremist group to kill those named on it. Calls for Biden's resignation and impeachment have mounted after at least 103 people, including 13 US service personnel, were killed by ISIS terrorists in a double suicide attack on Kabul airport on Thursday. However, in the latest blow to his handling of the crisis it was reported on Thursday that US officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to grant entry into the airport's outer perimeter.”

Another British newspaper “The Guardian” has asserted, “A defiant Joe Biden has insisted that he stands “squarely behind” his decision to pull US forces rapidly out of Afghanistan while attempting to shift blame for events unfolding there to his predecessor, Donald Trump, and the unwillingness of Afghan forces to fight the Taliban. Biden is facing the biggest crisis of his presidency after the stunning fall of Afghanistan to the extremist insurgent force caught his administration flat-footed and raised fears of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Meanwhile, a reputed American media house “Bloomberg” reported, “Congress is preparing to question officials from President Joe Biden’s administration about its handling of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan as criticism mounts from lawmakers of both parties.”

It opined, “It’s not hard to tell the story of US involvement in Afghanistan as a tale of failures by at least five presidents. Bill Clinton left a dangerous situation that he did too little to address. George W Bush intervened and then lost interest, thereby leaving an impossible situation. Barack Obama kicked the can, incurring further costs until he passed along a situation just as bad as the one he inherited. Donald Trump tried to pull the plug, but ultimately did little more than leave a situation that was even less tenable. Yet presidents do not have exclusive control over American foreign policy and national security. Congress is a co-equal branch — or at least it can be if it chooses.”

The “CNN” stated, “Biden is in turmoil as blast in Kabul raises leadership questions. Approximately 12,500 people were evacuated from Afghanistan in the latest 24-hour period, according to the White House. It also shone a harsh light on President Joe Biden’s decision-making and the chaotic nature of the US withdrawal that left American troops and civilians so vulnerable, in the confusing, chaotic days after the Taliban seized Kabul. The most alarming realisation in the aftermath of the carnage was that there may be more to come before the deadline for the US to leave for good on Tuesday.”